Omaha daily bee., 1887-02-11
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Economy for Bun cOmbe.

Our Washington dispatches of Tuesday
noted a fact not familiar to the general
public, but well known to everybody in
formed regarding congressional conduct,
that it is the invariable policy of the
house to pare down appropriations to the
very lowest point, always under the estl-
mates furnished by the several depart.
ments of the government, with the GER
tainty of making deficiency unless the
senate increases the amounts to some
where near the estimates. The effect of
this course with the public has been to
create the impression that the senate IS
proverbially eXtravagant, and from this
members of the house like Mr.. Randall
and Mr. Holman nave won a reputation
as champions of economy. There APP
pears to haye developed in the senate
spirit of revolt against this policy on the
part of the house, which is characterized
rs one of the cheapest tricks of political
hypocrisy practiced in congress, and it
has become serious question among
senators what course shall be pursued in
order to protect themselves against what
they claim TO be the un just charge of ex-
travagance. Our dispatch quoted SEN
ator as saying that if the policy com
planned of shall be continued in the next
congress it is now the very general feel
ing among senators that the best course
to pursue would be to still further reduce
appropriations from the estimates when
the bills come before the senate. Some
senators think the wiser course will be to
leave the whole responsibility with the
house by approving the appropriation
bills as they come from that body, while
others maintain that if the house refuses
to make adequate appropriations it is the
duty of the senate to supply them and to
insist upon its independent right to ex-
press its views as to the means necessary
to carry on the government,
There have been several recent exam
pies of the house method of providing in
adequate appropriations. Our cores
pondent expressed the opinion that the
legislative bill as perfected IN the house
would certainly result in a deficiency,
and that this is well known to the chair
man of the appropriations committee,
Mr.. Randall, who also knows, or expects,
that the amounts necessary to be pro-
vided will be added by the senate. This,
however, will not detract from the repu-
tation of Mr.. Randall as an economist.
Another example Is the appropriation for
the coast survey, which is claimed to be
so far short of what is required that it
would very seriously cripple the efficiency
of that organization, and if made prece-
dent would result in few years in ruin
ing 1T. Still another example is in the
proposed provision for an expedition to
Alaska for the purpose of settling the
boundary question and investigating
other matters IN that territorial annex.
The house was furnished an estimate of
the amount that would be required to
maintain the expedition during the four
or i've months of tine season when the
work can be efficiently performed. This
was cut down to sum said to be not
more than sufficient TO send steamer to
Alaska and directly back again, leaving
nothing with which TO defray the real ex.
penses of the expedition. 1t is charged
that all through the house appropria-
tions which have gone to the senate the
extreme paring down policy is manifest,
tn consequence of which the senate has
felt called upon to make additions ag-
gregating nearly S3OO0,000, thereby
again inviting the accusation of extrava-
gance.
1t is doubtless to be said in behalf of
the house that the restraining influence
of its policy has not been without adyan-
tage in curbing the tendency to extraya'